Still not clear on my status. I will get a blood test done soon to find out if I still have any low iron issues. That should settle it. I hope to get my fingerprints figured out eventually, too. They are just so not there. I just found some pasturized goat's milk I am going to try. I bought some canned last week, but haven't tried it yet. I haven't yet located a local farmer to buy from. I was looking on the various forums for ways to use goat's milk other than just drinking it straight. Does anyone have any favorite ways to use it?

Victoria, is that because you don't like the taste of plain goat's milk? Or do you find that you tolerate yogurt and kefir better? Do you make your own?

I haven't completed my swami, so things could change, but as a Nomad genotype, goats milk is a black dot for me. That's why I don't use uncultured milk. The taste is fine with me. I love those strong flavored gamey foods such as goat milk, sheep cheese, venison, etc. I used to have 3 goats, which I milked. That was many years ago.

Yes, I always make my own. That way I can use fresh milk that I buy from a local farmer. I don't like the stuff that is done to dairy products, and all the goat yogurt that I can find has some sort of gum or thickener added.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.~Mary Jean Irion

I was looking on the various forums for ways to use goat's milk other than just drinking it straight. Does anyone have any favorite ways to use it?

Any way you would use cows milk... We had milking goats when I was in high school as a cheaper alternative to the cows... We used the milk in all ways as a direct replacement. Some goat breeds have more flavor in their milk than others, so some family members didn't like the stronger milk. We would make yogurt or use that milk in cooking and use the milder tasting for drinking.

Goat milk is somewhat thicker or heavier than cows milk, so that is a texture adjustment to get used to...

You are right, Victoria. If you did SWAMI, it could change. Goat milk went to a superfood for me as a SWAMI Nomad (and Explorer). I am still looking for a local source for it. I want to make my own yogurt and kefir. I have never bought goat milk before, much less from a farmer. What are some things I should be careful for, as in cleanliness, etc? I am somewhat of a germophobe, being a nurse.

Lola, I came out an Explorer when I answered the low iron question "yes". Goat milk is superfood on that diet. When I answered "no" to the low iron question, because I am not sure, it made me a Nomad and goat milk is a superfood on my SWAMI Nomad diet. Goat milk is black dot on GTD Nomad diet. I had low iron in the past. I'll get it nailed down soon.

You are right, Victoria. If you did SWAMI, it could change. Goat milk went to a superfood for me as a SWAMI Nomad (and Explorer). I am still looking for a local source for it. I want to make my own yogurt and kefir. I have never bought goat milk before, much less from a farmer. What are some things I should be careful for, as in cleanliness, etc? I am somewhat of a germophobe, being a nurse.

Buying from a local farmer, it was important for me to meet the farmer personally and visit the farm, see the animals, see how he treats them, where he milks them and what his procedure is. I bring the raw goats' milk to a boil before making yogurt, but even so, I want to see that the farm uses good sanitation methods.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.~Mary Jean Irion

I have never bought goat milk before, much less from a farmer. What are some things I should be careful for, as in cleanliness, etc? I am somewhat of a germophobe, being a nurse.

You want to make sure the animals are clean and healthy. The farmer should make sure the milking parts of the animal (usually wiped or washed prior to milking) and all pieces of the equipment are clean. The equipment should be cleaned very soon after milking, to maintain sanitary conditions. The milk area should be free of any fecal residue, although sometimes the animal does its duty during the milking.Any chapping or cracking on the teats should be treated after milking. Some farmers will not sell milk from animals with this condition.

These are general guidelines that we used when milking. I may have missed something, but this is a good start, anyway.

I just got the note below from a local farmer. I am assuming this is a legal proclamation she needs to make, but if the conditions are as you recommend, I could probably drink the milk? Or should I find someone who pasteurizes the milk?

"We do not own a commercial pateurizer. Therefore, i cannot sell Goat's Milk for human consumption.

Our goat's milk can only be sold for use for orphaned animals or for making products such as Soap."

There are some IMO stupid laws in the USA, and one of them involves the pasturization of milk. The only problems with unpasturized milk have come from sick cows in unsanitary conditions, and pasturization was intended to be a stopgap measure until the underlying problems could be resolved. When refrigerated trucks were invented, inner city kids could get milk from regional farms every day, and didn't have to drink the milk from unhealthy city cows anymore.

Yet the laws against raw milk persist. You can buy raw eggs, fish, and meat, and they'll just come with a disclaimer to cook before using, but they won't do that for milk. Some states insist on a disclaimer that the milk not be intended for human consumption. Some states only let people consume milk from their own cows, setting up "cow share" situations where consumers share ownership of the cow in exchange for a portion of milk each week. You're not "buying the milk", you're "paying for your share of the cow." Other states completely forbid its sale, and close down the farms that distribute it anyway.

If I were you, I'd be thankful that raw milk is available for sale in your state, and not worry about the fact that you're legally drinking "pet food."

I just got the note below from a local farmer. I am assuming this is a legal proclamation she needs to make, but if the conditions are as you recommend, I could probably drink the milk? Or should I find someone who pasteurizes the milk?

"We do not own a commercial pateurizer. Therefore, i cannot sell Goat's Milk for human consumption.

Our goat's milk can only be sold for use for orphaned animals or for making products such as Soap."

I had to buy a share of the goat farm in order to get fresh raw goat milk.

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.”